Abhishek S. Vyas on Building AVS as a Cross Border Intellectual Property Driven Entertainment Platform

Abhishek S. Vyas on building AVS into a cross-border IP-driven entertainment platform.

Abhishek S Vyas

Abhishek S. Vyas, Founder and CEO of AVS, shares how his experience across leading global media companies shaped his vision of building an entertainment platform focused on long term intellectual property rather than project led content production. Founded as a film production and funding company, AVS has evolved into a multi vertical arts and entertainment ecosystem spanning film development, audio storytelling, licensing partnerships, and cross border collaborations operating between Dubai and Mumbai. In the interview, Vyas discusses the growing opportunity for India and the Middle East to co-develop culturally rooted stories for global audiences, the shift in premium storytelling toward authenticity and narrative world building in the streaming era, and the rising importance of audio as a testing ground for new intellectual property. Emphasising sustainability over speed, he highlights ownership, partnerships, and creative authenticity as essential pillars for emerging creators and outlines AVS’s long term vision of nurturing culturally meaningful stories that can travel across formats, markets, and generations.

1. You have worked across some of the most influential global media organisations before founding AVS. What gaps or opportunities in the entertainment ecosystem motivated you to start your own venture?

Having worked across television networks, global studios, OTT platforms, and international distribution ecosystems, I had the opportunity to see how content businesses operate at scale across very different markets. What became increasingly clear to me was that while there was no shortage of creative talent, there was often a disconnect between storytelling ambition and structural support around financing, intellectual property ownership, and long-term brand building.

Many creators and even production companies were operating project to project without building durable IP ecosystems. At the same time, global platforms were looking for culturally rooted stories that could travel internationally, but the infrastructure required to nurture those ideas from development through monetisation was still evolving in our region.

AVS was born out of the idea that storytelling today cannot exist in silos. Film, streaming, audio, licensing, and brand partnerships are no longer separate industries. They are interconnected layers of the same creative economy.

I wanted to build a company that approached entertainment not just as content production but as cultural asset creation. That meant combining creative development with strategic funding, cross border partnerships, and long-term IP thinking. The opportunity was to create a platform where stories could live across formats and markets rather than being confined to a single release cycle.

2. AVS has evolved from a film production and funding company into a multi vertical arts and entertainment platform. What drove this expansion, and how do the different verticals complement each other strategically?

The expansion was actually a natural response to how audiences consume content today. Earlier, a film or series existed largely within its primary medium. Today, a successful idea travels across screens, sound, brand collaborations, and experiential formats.

When we started, film production and funding allowed us to understand creative pipelines and commercial realities at a granular level. Very quickly we realised that strong storytelling generates value far beyond theatrical or streaming releases.

For example, audio storytelling allows narratives to reach audiences during completely different consumption moments such as commuting or daily routines. Licensing and brand collaborations allow visual culture and storytelling aesthetics to extend into lifestyle spaces. Development across formats ensures that intellectual property is not dependent on a single revenue stream.

Strategically, each vertical informs the other. Film development feeds audio concepts. Audio experimentation informs narrative testing. Licensing builds brand longevity around creative ideas.

Our approach is less about diversification for scale and more about building a connected ecosystem where creativity and commerce strengthen each other.

3. Operating between Dubai and Mumbai gives AVS a unique cross border perspective. How do you see India and the Middle East collaborating more closely in the future of content and cultural IP?

India and the Middle East share deep cultural intersections through migration, commerce, and audience behaviour, but structured collaboration in storytelling is still at an early stage.

Dubai in particular operates as a global crossroads where Asian, European, and Middle Eastern audiences converge. This creates an interesting opportunity for stories that reflect multicultural identities rather than single market narratives.

Indian creators bring strong storytelling traditions and volume driven production expertise. The Middle East brings investment appetite, premium infrastructure, and a growing interest in cultural exports.

I believe the next phase of collaboration will involve co developed content rather than distribution led partnerships. We will see projects designed simultaneously for multiple regions rather than adapted later.

There is also significant opportunity around non fictional formats, documentaries, and audio storytelling that explore diaspora identities. As audiences become more globally mobile, stories rooted in authenticity but accessible internationally will define future success.

4. Having worked across television, OTT platforms, and international partnerships, how has the definition of premium storytelling changed in the streaming era?

Premium storytelling today is no longer defined purely by budget or star power. Audiences have access to global libraries at their fingertips, which means quality benchmarks are constantly rising.

Earlier, premium content often meant spectacle. Today, it means specificity.

Viewers are responding strongly to authenticity, nuanced characters, and cultural honesty. A small, emotionally truthful story can resonate globally if it is executed with clarity and craft.

The streaming era has also shifted attention toward long form world building. Characters and universes matter as much as plot. Data insights now inform commissioning decisions, but intuition and originality remain equally important.

Another major change is longevity. Premium storytelling is increasingly about intellectual property that can evolve across seasons, formats, or even mediums rather than one time success.

For creators and studios alike, sustainability now comes from building narrative ecosystems rather than chasing isolated hits.

5. Audio storytelling is becoming an increasingly important medium globally. What opportunities do you see in audio and radio within India and the wider region?

Audio is one of the most underestimated storytelling formats today.

In markets like India and the Middle East, audio consumption aligns naturally with lifestyle patterns. Long commutes, multilingual audiences, and mobile first consumption habits create ideal conditions for podcasts, radio storytelling, and narrative audio experiences.

What excites me most is accessibility. Audio removes many of the cost barriers associated with visual production while allowing creators to experiment with format and tone.

We are also seeing younger audiences rediscovering spoken word storytelling, whether through fiction podcasts, documentary audio series, or conversational formats.

Brands are beginning to recognise audio as a space for deeper engagement rather than interruption driven advertising.

In the coming years, I believe audio will become a testing ground for intellectual property development. Ideas can be piloted through sound before expanding into film or series formats.

6. As someone who combines creative instincts with business strategy, what advice would you give emerging creators and entrepreneurs looking to build sustainable entertainment businesses today?

The biggest shift creators need to embrace is thinking beyond individual projects.

Creativity is essential, but sustainability comes from understanding ownership, partnerships, and audience ecosystems. A strong idea must be supported by clarity around rights, distribution, and long-term monetisation.

I also encourage emerging entrepreneurs to build relationships across disciplines. Entertainment today intersects with technology, brand strategy, finance, and community building.

Another important lesson is patience. The pace of digital visibility sometimes creates unrealistic expectations around overnight success. Building credibility in entertainment still requires consistency and resilience.

Finally, authenticity remains the most valuable currency. Audiences are incredibly perceptive. When storytelling reflects genuine perspective rather than imitation, it tends to travel further and last longer.

7. Looking ahead, what is the long-term vision for AVS, and what kind of cultural or creative impact do you hope the company will create globally?

Our long-term vision is to build AVS into a platform that nurtures culturally meaningful intellectual property capable of moving across borders and mediums.

We are particularly interested in stories that reflect contemporary identities while preserving cultural nuance. As entertainment globalises, there is a risk of creative homogenisation. I believe audiences still crave authenticity.

We want to work with creators who are building narratives rooted in their lived experiences while enabling those stories to reach wider audiences through thoughtful partnerships.

Beyond commercial success, impact for us means contributing to how culture is archived and remembered. Films, audio narratives, and artistic collaborations often become historical markers of their time.

If AVS can help create work that resonates emotionally, travels internationally, and remains relevant years later, then we would consider that a meaningful achievement.